ABOUT BOOKS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CIX, Issue 13122, 9 May 1903, Page 4

ABOUT BOOKS.

THE "NINETEENTH CENTURY” SERIES. (1) “Continental Rulers of the. Century,” by Percy M. Thornton. (2) “Wars of the Century and the Development of Military Science,” by Oscar Browning. (3) “ Economical and Industrial Progress of tho Century,” by H. do I!., Gib'bins. London : W. and R. Cham--1 bers; Christchurch : Whitcombo and I Tombs. Each, 5s net.) Tho development of the admirable Canadian plan for a comprehensive survey of tho progress of the nineteenth century "has so far been worthy of the magnitude of tha I .scheme. The inception of the idea, has 1 been described before, and from time to: time the volumes have been reviewed as they appeared, so that- it should not be , necessary to dwell on the scope of the series here. Like previously-issued volumes, tho three histories mentioned above are written by experts. It was essential to tho success of the scheme that each department of inquiry or knowledge or activity should be committed, into the hands of an acknowledged authority, and so each volume of tho scries is a, handy and valuable, manual on its subject. Mr" Thornton, who deals with, the European rulers of tho century,., has already published important volumes, chiefly on the history of Britain’s foreign policy. Tho necessity for confining an enormous subject in small limits has rather cramped his style, which in places becomes, decidedly laboured. But little fault can 1)3 found with tho plan of his work or with the. history itself. Inevitably tho greater parti of the book is given up to the first quarter of the century, for it was in tho years from! 1500 to 1820 that Europe was taking permanent shape. The average reader would doubtless have preferred a. fuller treatment of the middle decades, for British histories generally deal with European developments of the Napoleonic era. Mr Thornton, however, has rightly apportioned his space. Professor Oscar Browning's volume on the century’s wars is more fascinating. He, too, must needs devote many pages to tha early year's of the century, but, of course, they are treated from an aspect in no way resembling that taken by Mr Thornton. The description of the Napoleonic campaigns is in every way excellent, tho scope of the operations being clearly indicated, their progress lucidly explained, and their results admirably summarised, Considering the brief space into which the matter had to be condensed, the treatment must be described as masterly. The Crimean War is treated not go fully, but still excellently, and the chapters devoted to the Franco-Italian War of 1859 carry the same remark. To' the American Civil War, again, Professor Browning lias devoted special attention,.and there are admirable accounts of the European War of 1866, the Eranco-Pmssian War of 1370, the Russo-Turkiah. 'struggle, and, finaliy, the Spanish-American War of 1838. It is a coincidence, presumably, that the volume dealing with? the victories’of war should have come to hand at the same time as that dealing with the victories of peace. Dr G-ibbins commences with the great industrial revolution that followed on the invention of machines, the crowding of the people into the towns, the application, of steam and the rest. It is with Great Britain, of course, that these introductory chaptera deal, but other countries are not neglected ; and though tho British Empire and the United States are more liberally treated than foreign countries, that arrangement is almost inevitable in a work intended for English-speaking races. The most interesting portions of the volume are those devoted to the wonderful industrial expansion of the United States, and to the development. of sailing and steam navigation and tho progress cl international commerce. “ Tho Grey Wig,” by I. Zangwill. (Heine-' mann's Colonial Library; Christchurch : Whitcombe and Tombs.) Admittedly powerful and clever as Mr Zangwill’s novels are, it may be questioned whether they reach a higher artistic standard than some of his short-story work. At any rate, the opening story of this volume shows a rare delicacy of touch, and, considering tho slender theme, a surprisingly strong interest. The hold of the second, “ Chasse-Croise,” is less secure. The. American gill who marries the brilliant young politician for his career is convincing enough, hut the politician who abandons ] his career because he has fallen in love, with his wife is hardly so satisfactory. StilE-tlm story has power. The “Woman Beater ” is a slighter sketch of a passion incident. Tim “"Eternal Feminine” gives one a glimpse, through Mr Zangwill’s clear eyes, of Bohemian Paris, but only as a. setting for a little Danish story that might have happened in Java, or Brazil, or, Alaska—wherever, indeed, there are two, men and a woman. “Woman, woman, you are past all understanding!” declares Charles 11. in the play, and Mr Zangwill is of that opinion, too. In these eight) stories ho Quo caught the “Eternal feminine” in eight of her very various moods. It is chiefly tho pathetic not© that appeals to him, perhaps because the character of woman is altogether too serious ,a matter for jest. Even the “ Serio-Comic Governess” contrives to subdue the comic side of her nature rather effectively.. The volume, for the mosfjiart, shows Sir Zangwill at his best, but it obviously contains,, also, some of the work of Lis earlier years. “Marty,” by John Strange Winter. (Bell’s Colonial Library ; Christchurch : Whit: combe and Tombs.) , “Marty” is air average John Strange Winter Story. The heroine is a Loudon girl, self-possessed and charming rather than beautiful. Her .Another keeps a second-hand clothes shop, and: on the death ' of her rather weak-kneed husband she decides to give her children an opportunity to make their way in the world. She cuts tho old connections and goes into business in the West End, trading only with the elite. Marty is sent to a first-class boardv ■ ing school, "and acquires the usual accomplishments. Meeting a young man of good birth, she falls in love and charms his heart away. The match is not very acceptable to his parents, because, Marty, with all her good points, is rather common. ' This is borne in upon her during tho honeymoon trip, and, being sensitive, she worries a 1 good deal. In the end she leaves him, being convinced that she is ruining' her husband’s life. The husband, of course, takes steps to find her. / This is not where the story cuds, but something must be left to the authoress. “ Anthea’s Way.” by Adeline Sergeant. ■ (Methuen’s Colonial Library. Christchurch : Whitcombs and Tombs.) ’ Anthea’s* way was the way of,a. self-sacri-ficing, quiet, industrious young person, a type familiar enough in Miss Sergeant’s novels. When things went wrong it was Anthca that put them right, generally at her own inconvenience. A great deal hap- • pens in the course of the story, generally with the object of providing opportunities for Anthea to show her “ way.” Virtue is not in her case its own only reward, for Anthea gets a fortune and a good ' husband. It is the kind of novel that a novelist ought to write, and 1 Miss Sergeant writes it quite well. “ The Australian Handbook, 1503.” (London, Melbourne and Christchurch: Gordon and Gotch.) The “ Australian Handbook ” is like good wine, and, needs no bush." What commercial men, traders, travellers, newspaper writers, advertisers and the public generally' would do without it. one hesitates to think. It is an institution of thirty-four B years’ standing, and though its increasing e corpulence makes it probable _ that there 1 will bo a division of matter in the near future, tho “Handbook” itself will go on •1 for ever,' or at least as long as Australia ® and New Zealand) aio above water. Dpes [ one want to know about Cudal? Tho ’ “Handbook” reveals it to be a town 217 ■ miles west of Sydney. One gets there by I coach and rail, and it has three hotels, a. 1 bank and the usual churches and institu- • lions. There are 52 miles of streets, the J annual ratable value is £4610, pud the . population is 589. Particulars like thesS • : are given for every town in the colonies. I i There are facts and figures, commercial, t • financial, constitutional, geographical, his- [ . torical and general about the Common--1 wealth, New Zealand, Fiji andl New ' * Guinea; indeed, the difficulty would be to

think of some department of information, nob covered in this volume. The results of the Melbourne Cup races and of international cricket matches even _ are included. There is a full list of colonial newspapers, and many pages are devoted' to an admirable professional and business directory. There arc tables of colonial State and municipal loans. Indeed, there arc nearly 709 pages of close-printed information in the “ Handbook” proper, and it takes a twelvecolumn index to show what is in them. A valuable article is that dealing with copyright, trade-mark and patent law in the colonies. The volume is copiously mapped. \ .. —rr: